Monthly Archives: April 2008

I’m sure we’ve all seen our share of garish barbecues, and by that I mean those giant brick and mortar temples to meat that people erect in their backyards. But if you prefer to barbecue with a little more style, this stainless steel barrel model from Eva Solo is as cool a BBQ as you’re ever going to find. Designed by Claus Jensen and Henrik Holbaek, the barbecue’s stainless steel finish should make it last longer than other barbecues that are finished with enamel, chrome or nickel-plating. Stainless steel also just looks really cool which is why some people cover their entire kitchens with it. In fact you’ll probably be more inclined to leave this barbecue out on the patio when it’s not in use, just so you can look at it.

But like a lot of things that have been crafted by a talented designer, the Eva Solo Stainless Steel BBQ doesn’t come cheap. A 19.3-inch diameter version costs $680 while a 27-inch diameter version is $1,070. You can get them from Unica Home along with a similarly priced line of Eva Solo barbecue accessories.

While the Freebord might resemble a regular skateboard, there are a few key differences that make riding it feel more like racing down a ski covered mountain than gleaming the cube. For one, the traditional 4 corner wheels are pushed out and away from the deck making them work like the edges of a snowboard which gives you more control over your speed when racing downhill. The other obvious difference is a set of center wheels mounted underneath the deck which are free to turn in any direction. They end up working like the petex base of a snowboard (the extremely durable and slippery bottom layer) allowing you to slide sideways while riding or even use them to ‘edge in’ and come to a stop.

And while I’m sure the Freebord experience does probably come close to riding an actual snowboard, you’re unfortunately missing that soft layer of snow to cushion you when you fall. The Freebord Basic Setup kit which includes everything you need to get started plus your choice of deck is available from the company’s online store for $209.99.

Ever wonder what it would feel like to be in the driver’s seat of an RC car as it races around your house? While you can already buy remote control vehicles that feature a built-in video camera, I like the fact that this standalone wireless camera is small enough to use with even the miniature Bit-char G RC cars that were so popular a few years back. The camera unit features a 2.7 megapixel color CMOS sensor and a rechargeable battery that’s good for about 45 minutes. Given it’s just under an inch and a half on its longest side, that’s pretty impressive. It’s able to transmit the 1.2GHz video signal about 98 feet to the included Morse type s receiver, which can then be connected to a television set with a composite video cable.

The mini video camera also features a waterproof case allowing it to be attached to an RC submarine or boat without the fear of H20 ruining your fun, and you can get it from the Japan Trend Shop for $269.

I am fortunate enough not to have any allergies, but one of my close friends is very allergic to smoke. If we go anywhere that’s very smoky, she can’t stay for long before her allergies kick in. There’s not much that she can do, aside from wearing a face mask, which no one wants to do. Luckily these little guys should also do the trick.

They are basically small air filters that stick up inside your nose. While they probably wouldn’t be the most comfortable things in the world, they are very discrete. Only a small clear band is visible at the base of your nostrils. You can pick up a pack of them for around $14.

I’ve always thought about getting a hybrid car, as it would would save some cash, in addition to saving the environment. Unfortunately a new car just isn’t in my current budget. If I did have a hybrid, I would definitely consider an add-on like one of these SEV Solar Roof Modules.

This solar panel fits on all 2004-2006 Toyota Prius models and will keep your car going for an extra 20 miles each day just by catching some rays. No word on price just yet, but the company claims that it will pay for itself withing 2-3 years.

Over the years there have been many studies on the dangers of radiation and electromagnetic fields from cellphones. Some have said it’s perfectly safe, while others feel it’s really dangerous. But why listen to someone else’s findings when you can conduct your own research and come to your own conclusions with this handheld EMF detector. It measures both radio frequency radiation as well as extremely low-frequency magnetic fields and should give you a pretty good idea of which electronics in your home are the worst offenders. Of course the readings given by the CellSensor don’t exactly fall into a ‘safe’ or ‘not-safe’ category since I’m pretty sure there’s no definite guidelines yet. But don’t let that stop you from publishing your own research on the dangers of cellphones and see if it makes the 6 o’clock news like so many before it.

The CellSensor is available from X-Treme Geek.com for $29.95 and runs off a single 9V battery which is not included.

I’ve always thought that clocks were such simple devices. Sure, their innards are somewhat complex, but they are quite simple to use. Just a quick glance usually tells you everything you need to know. Of course some people don’t like that they are simple to read, in fact, such people will go to great lengths to make you stare at a clock much longer than you should have to.

Take this Idea of a Clock II, which will make you read a full sentence in order to get the time. I think I’ll stick with my plain clock with roman numerals. Then again some people have a hard time reading those too.

There are dumb ideas out there, then there are really dumb ideas. This product would fall in the latter category. This is the My Pee Bottle, guess what it’s for.

February 2007, our then two-year old daughter, Sofia, contracted Rotavirus. Though she recovered within a couple of weeks, I was panicked. I became extremely fearful of all toilets and wanted to make sure Sofia had limited exposure to public restrooms. I was particularly mindful of continued good hygiene and simultaneously desired a simpler, cleaner, and more-efficient way for Sofia to use the potty when we were out.

Okay, I get the reason that this was created, but I still don’t see a practical use for it. Seriously, who wants to carry around a bottle that’s been peed in? Also, if this is meant for young children, do you really think it’s good to teach them to pee in a bottle just after you’ve potty trained them? I’d think that would have some negative effects on the kid.

Even though the Indiana Jones films were Lucasfilm productions, I don’t remember the original 3 featuring as extensive a marketing or product tie-in push as the Star Wars films did. But it seems they’re going to make up for that with the 4th Indiana Jones film that’s set to hit theaters in less than a month. In the same way that Star Wars fans can buy toy replicas of nearly every single lightsaber seen in those movies, Indiana Jones fans can now get themselves a toy version of Indy’s most famous accessory. (No, not his hat.)

This three foot soft whip features a plastic handle that not only plays authentic whip-cracking sound effects as you swing it around, but also the well-known Indiana Jones theme music. (aka The Raiders March) There’s a switch on the handle for turning the sounds on and off, and it even features a carrying strap for attaching it to your belt so it’s always close at hand. I’m sure there’ll also be actual whip replicas available for sale at some point, but this version is probably a lot safer if you’ve never used a whip before.

OhGizmo! is a frequently updated blog that focuses on covering items that will appeal to a very specific and often very passionate audience: the geek. Aside from the fare of innovative consumer electronic products, the reader can expect to find news about geek culture, absurd inventions, awe inspiring technology, and an ever growing assortment of articles that we like to think fit within our view of what we’re calling the Geek Lifestyle.